Carps
by Redzik
Summary: Carp is one of the dishes made for Christmas Eve, but who's going to prepare the fish for cooking?


Gift for lolawritesaboutfandoms in Sterek Secret Santa Gift Exchange.

* * *

Derek woke up not to the voices quietly arguing about killing and gutting fish (and what the hell those two were even doing in his loft?!) but to the wild heartbeat signaling a deep distress.

With a weary sigh Derek rolled out of his warm, comfortable bed and padded in the direction of the voices.

On his way he glanced at the clock. It was seven in the morning! He was going to rip their throats out. After he'll deal with the crisis.

The two culprits were standing in his bathroom, gesturing now and again at the bathtub. One of them had a knife in hand.

"Scott," Stiles was saying calmly, though his racing heartbeat belayed that notion. "You are a predator. You can't expect me to believe you can't kill some fish."

"I can't!" Scott argued back. "I'm practicing to be a veterinarian. I'm supposed to heal all kinds of animals, not harm them!"

"Tell that to all those bunnies you have eaten on the full moons," Stiles snorted.

"I..." Scott reared back a bit with a hurt expression. Then he remembered he didn't actually ate any rabbits. Ever. "I did not!" he protested hotly. "Why won't you do it?" the true Alpha retaliated, pushing the large knife under his best friend's nose, expecting him to take it.

Stiles' heartbeat kicked up a notch toeing the edge of a panic attack. Scott didn't seem to notice. Which was stupid of him, considering everything that went down with the Nogitsune. Sure, it was just a fish, but killing was still a very sensitive topic for Stiles.

Derek grabbed the distressed teen by the back of his shirt and pulled him back, almost out of the bathroom. Stiles let out a startled yelp and started cursing at creepy werewolves. Derek ignored him, pushing the teen behind him and keeping him close to his body.

"Nobody is going to kill anything," Derek grumbled. "And put that knife back, before you hurt someone."

He felt Stiles relax and lean more into his back.

"What are you even doing here?" the older werewolf asked. He blinked at the bathtub filled with water and five fish swimming around. "And why there are five carps in my bathroom?"

"Dude," Stiles said, leaning over his shoulder. "Tonight is Christmas Eve!"

"So?" Derek deadpanned.

"So?" Scott gaped at him.

"So we're going to celebrate, of course," Stiles replied, unfazed by Derek's attitude.

"At seven in the morning?" Derek grumbled. Stiles was calming down rapidly, so he prepared to kick them the hell out and go back to sleep.

"You wolves eat a lot, and the whole pack will be here, so there is a ton of food to prepare," Stiles explained. "The faster we start the better."

Derek froze.

"The whole pack? Here?" he demanded. Bye bye much desired and needed sleep. "Why here?!"

Stiles chuckled lightly and jumped a little, wrapping his long limbs around Derek's body.

Derek snarled.

Scott stepped back.

"You have a lot of space here," the teen replied, unconcerned by the fact he was clinging to the werewolf whom was practically spitting in his rage. "Peter and Malia will come soon to help."

"Peter!" Derek growled through his fangs.

"Yeah," Stiles smiled. "A bit later Lydia, Aiden, Danny, Kira and her parents will bring some decorations."

"What!"

"My dad, Scott's mom and Deaton will bring more tables and chairs with them after their shifts. Chris Argent, Isaac and Cora will drive from the airport in the afternoon."

That stopped Derek in his tracks.

"Cora?" he asked, turning his head to look at Stiles.

"Yup," the teen grinned brightly.

"Fine!" Derek grumbled. "Now get off me."

Stiles complied, but not before giving the werewolf a happy nuzzle, making him stiffen in surprise. Then he grabbed Scott and they both went downstairs.

"Dude!" Derek heard Scott exclaim.

"I told you it'll be fine," Stiles said.

"I thought he was going to kill you!" the Alpha cried.

"Nah," Stiles denied. "He wouldn't."

Derek sighed, shaking his head and went to get dressed.

* * *

True to Stiles' words soon the rest of the pack showed up.

After too much enthusiastic show of wanting to claw the fish apart, Malia was banned from trying and instead helped Stiles in the kitchen with other things.

Peter turned up his nose and declared, that the smell of fish is too strong for his sensitive nose and he won't go near them, much less touch them.

Lydia made it clear, that the task of killing and gutting fish is beneath her and declared, that her boyfriend will not lower himself to that level too.

Kira's parents busied themselves with decorating the Christmas tree and the loft to avoid the task.

Kira tried, but ultimately failed.

"They're staring at me like that and I just can't do it," she stated, cooing at the carps.

Danny was Danny, he wouldn't even hurt a fly.

The topic of preparing fish was put aside with the arrival of Cora, Isaac and Chris Argent, only to be renewed when all of the pack was present and Stiles declared the only dish left to prepare was carp.

There was a long debate where everyone protested their part in the fish's demise.

"Alright, I'll do it," Argent finally declared impatiently.

* * *

Many hours later, when everything was said and done, the guests gone and everything cleaned up, Derek found Stiles in his bathroom saying goodbye to the carps.

"...and bye, Grumpy," the teen waved slightly. "See you soon."

"You named them?" Derek asked, smirking at Stiles' surprised flail.

"Stop doing that!" Stiles send him a glare.

Which Derek wiped out with pulling him closer and giving him a short gentle peck on the lips.

"Thank you for this," Derek said quietly.

Because of course Stiles was the instigator of the whole thing.

Stiles' shocked expression melted into soft smile.

"You're very much welcome."


End file.
